The Timeless Man
by CrashLanded
Summary: His only hope was that it was a dream, an endless one at that. A nightmare you might call it, not being able to do anything as everything precious to him faded away. But Uzumaki Naruto had made a promise. He had to live on.
1. Chapter 1

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I have written up this story in a moment of inspiration. The rest of the chapters have a lot more detail on this Naruto AU. I still don't know whether I should go on with the format, so you can suggest: A series of drabbles connected by the same plot (a lot like Cowboy Bebop) or regular story with a lot (an awful lot) of flashbacks.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything which is copyright of any other agency. I'm just borrowing the names for a silly little fanfic. Go away you lawyers!

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**The Timeless Man**

3rd November 2123

Planet: Athena II  
Location: An abandoned construction site, outskirts of the Norrainolaie Control Region. (strange, but a native name...alien style)

0o0o0o0o0

Brian Calhan had never been a man to back down from a challenge. But the situation he was in at the moment required thinking before he jumped in.

'_How did he get to me?'_

The thing was, he was screwed, big time I may add. He was currently hiding behind a pillar of concrete gasping for breath. He could not breathe properly, simply because it stung like hell. Maybe a rib or two broke from that kick he took on his chest a few minutes ago.

'_Shit shit shit…won't do, stay calm'_

Sitting still, he mused on his situation. A week ago he was among the top lieutenants of Brother Kirov, the Second Hand to the Syndicate, and look what one botched up mission led to. He was now the big game, attracting the top bounty hunters in the system.

'_He's too fast, can't waste ammo….'_

The police can't get him, they are just not cut out to pick on a member of the Syndicate, even if it looks that Brother Kirov doesn't care if he lives or not. But these bounty hunters can probably do it, considering they had enough experience in the war as mercenaries. Well, he was there too in the war, as a soldier. He would have got medals for the kills he scored, if not for the higher-ups. His sergeant had cheated him out of his medals and had hogged all the glory. He had quit the military in disgust, joined the Syndicate and had headed the drug business to the Medusa system, and now here he was, in this predicament.

'_I'm losing blood…. need to finish this quick'_

Oh well, at least that man out there was no better. He had taken a hit on his shoulder and was probably bleeding. Brian was impressed by the skill this one had shown, flying in from a window to take a shot. This man sure knew his stuff, as others had just given up with the chase.

'_Let's see, three more bullets…. his gun is empty, I heard it go click'_

He looked at his left leg, growing redder by the minute. At least it was not as critical as that blond haired bastard. Speaking of which, he had never seen him before, never even heard of him. And that gun he had packed a mean punch…he tried to remember where he had last seen that gun.

'_Oh yes, Brother Kirov's collection! An almost 40 year old design! The USP 50.'_

Well, time for reminiscing was over, it was the time to act. He straightened his back against the pillar and got ready for the showdown. It was going to be a hell of a show. His heart beat faster against his chest.

'_Now!!'_

Brian had only time enough to catch the glimpse of steel before a loud sound was heard. Then he felt something pommel him hard on the stomach with enough force to blow him back and he felt no more. At least not for two more days.

The blond haired man walked up to Brian, shaking his head. "You can be fast, but never as much as 'him'. And I defeated him." His voice was almost a whisper, as if it was nothing but a gust of air. He touched his shoulder, his wound had stopped bleeding and in seconds there will be not even a mark left. He flipped open his phone and said, "this is bounty hunter Arashi...yes, he's here with me... naa nothing serious, just three shots... two on the legs and one to the left of the spleen...I'll stop the bleeding... but you guys get here fast." His right hand was covered in a green glow as he held it over the wounds. "Okay, I'll be waiting."

0o0o0o0o0

"Sir, the captive is in stable condition. None of the shots were lethal." A petty officer stood in front of the police inspector. "However there is one thing that is interesting."  
"What?" The inspector raised his eyebrow.  
"The captive had three gunshot wounds . Of them one was a .44 Magnum bullet."

The inspector was surprised. The .44 Magnum was a very powerful bullet and required a heavy barreled weapon to fire. That lad (a bounty hunter he may be but to him he was only a lad) did not seem too strong to him. He said, "okay, get me a report on that bullet."

A week later the ballistic report had him stunned. It was an old design. A .44 Colt Anaconda revolver. That gun had been out of production for nearly 100 years.

0o0o0o0o0

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Don't bother to Google USP 50. You won't find anything more recent than USP 45 (H&K).

This chapter did not go as I had thought. A bit confusing in the middle out there. Still I'm satisfied. Don't forget to review.


	2. Chapter 2

Looks like youi people are either not too much interested or just plain confused. Well, I guess I will take the drabblesque (is that a word?) style. Here's chapter two. Have fun.

Disclaimer: My wish of owning Naruto isn't coming true...  
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**The Timeless Man**

7th November 2123

Planet: Athena II  
Location: near the Sol System jump gate

0o0o0o0o0

This was a regular day for the traffic controllers of the jump gate. Heavy container traffic was right on schedule and passenger traffic was acceptable, even after that toll payment miscalculation fiasco. As the passenger ships snaked their way through the lane traffic, one more ship joined in. It was an old ship, a nearly 12 year old chassis. There had been days of glory for this Simian class Mk III scout ship during the war, but now after retirement it had found itself in the hands of Arashi and Ichiro, two bounty hunters who were now returning for some rest after a hectic chase after a big game.

"Control to Dragonfire. You are allowed to leave the Zion System. Have a safe and comfortable journey."

"Comfortable my ass!! With those jerks on their fucking rides, I'll be lucky if I get to Earth without a single dent!!", Ichiro muttered under the breath while sitting down on the controls.  
"We get there already?" That was Arashi, complete with a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth and half lidded eyes.

"Naa, just the jump gate."  
Sometimes Ichiro thought how this man had a Japanese name. He had not a touch of Japanese on his face, he was blond for crying out loud. Then there was his tanned complexion. He had asked him about it once. The answer was _"I had a mixed parentage."_ Then there were his collection of weapons. An antique katana, shuriken, kunai and a bo staff. Really old things but surprisingly still usable. Then there were some really old scrolls. He had said they were a family heritage. And finally two guns which were definitely supposed to get thousands in the black market. To say the least, his partner was an enigma, but it didn't matter much. He had skills and they got money out of the business, so it was a no questions asked, no answers given kind of partnership. To say Ichiro didn't have past would be wrong however, but that is a story for another time.

Two hours later, the Dragonfire was on its way to Earth's Orbital Dockyard. Ichiro looked at the garbage that had to be thrown out. It was an impressive pile which they had built over the last two months, although the credit goes mostly to Arashi, with his instant cup ramen. Speaking of which, his partner was prepping up his small scooter ship, a TS-4 fighter decommissioned after the war, which Arashi christened 'Kitsune'. Ichiro still thought it was a corny name, after all who named a plane after a fox?

"Okay Ichiro I'm ready. Open up the hatch."  
"When will you be back? We'll go after another one soon."

The hatch opened as the _Kitsune_ taxied to the take-off zone. The engine was starting hum.  
"I'll give you a call."  
With a small jump, the _Kitsune_ was gone.

0o0o0o0o0

Arashi walked down the road that led to the old suburbs while munching on a dango. When had he picked that habit, he didn't remember, probably years ago when he was young. He still looked twenty years old, the only thing being, he had forgotten how old he was. According to his passport he was 24, quite a young looking age. But he knew it would soon be time for him to drop this identity. He had held on to this name for, say seven years and if he was not going to look older, then Ichiro might get suspicious. He knew he could not rely on his skills for that look, for if he made a slip, all is out. He stopped at the old cemetery. The local archeology department had uncovered it about 60 years. He walked up to a grave and placed the flower he had just picked up on the way.

"You know, I'm happy. Happy to be alive. Happy to see the world change. Happy for…" His voice was a whisper. He stopped, not being able to find more reasons to be happy.

"_Promise me one thing…..you will live on, even without me."_

"How can I live on without you? You were everything to me….."  
He walked to another grave. He smiled, "I bet you are still out there, peeping into bath houses."

He paid his respect to the dead, and finally he came to the last grave.  
"You know teme, I'm waiting for you. I swear I will wipe out that smug look on your face when I see you next. It's a promise and you know Uzu…" He stopped and shook his head. Some habits just won't go. He smiled, gave a sigh and walked away.

0o0o0o0o0

The market district was busy as usual. Ichiro picked up another book from that roadside vendor as he went about shopping, thinking of where to hide his newest porn from Arashi. It was not that his partner was a freeloader but such things tended to vanish after Arashi's eyes had seen them. He was still to understand why a man could so 'not interested in porn' and yet things seemed to vanish. And them he saw a man coming out of the subway.

"Lucky! That's Jakoob Mellawa." Ichiro fumbled with his phone as he tried to keep the man in sight among the moving crowd.  
"Hey there Arashi, its me. I found you a bounty. Remember those 13 grands. Yeah its the same."

"Sorry there Ichiro, but I'm stuck here at Kyoto. I will take some time."  
"Okay then, I'll follow him. Let's see where he goes."  
"Right. Good luck."

The only catch about the whole thing was that Jakoob was an expert in evasion. An hour later Ichiro sat down on a park bench to wind down after a chase that took him from one end of the town to another. Needless to say he lost track of his bounty. But all was not lost however. He had managed to get a bug into Jakoob's jacket as they had brushed by each other while moving through the crowd. So what if he escaped, he could still be traced. And then there was a trophy, a red handprint on his right cheek. Murogane Ichiro was happy.

0o0o0o0o0

_"Corp. Murogane, take up the left flank. I'll take them from here."  
"Sir, yes sir."_

_As the three man team got to cover, they had only enough time to see an RPG round speeding towards them. The corporal jumped to the side, eyes closing due to the blinding light. Before he lost consciousness, he felt something burning hit his left biceps._

0o0o0o0o0

"Ichiro. Wake up, this isn't the time for sleeping." Arashi's voice had a sense of urgency.  
"Wha..? When did you get here?"  
"Just a few moments ago. Now what happened to our bounty?"  
"Planted a bug on him."

Two hours later, they were standing in front of a car parked by the side of the highway. Ichiro took out his pistol while Arashi simply walked to the car.  
"Hmm... nothing here. Hey wait!" Arashi's nose twitched at the strange smell. "Get back!! Its gonna blow!!"  
Ichiro ducked behind his car. Three seconds later there was a big explosion. When the smoke cleared, Arashi was nowhere in sight.

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I didn't expect too much of a response but I was surprised. Three alerts in a week! And I've just started. Well, thanks DRKSilent-Killer, darthfenrir and Necromancer king. Still, no reviews? C'mon guys tell me if my writing is good or not. After all I need to see if there are flaws in my writing (which I'm sure are there, just don't know not where).


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter was written in a bit of a hurry, but I'm still proud of what came out of it. This is Chapter 3 for you all.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other copyrighted material used here. **  
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**The Timeless Man**

11th August 1633

Planet: Earth  
Location: A coastal village in Japan

0o0o0o0o0

It was a clear morning, with no indication of any bad weather that had come to pass the last night. But it was also a time to worry for the women of the village, after all their husbands were coming back this day after an extended fishing trip. As the morning sun rose up in the sky, a speck became visible on the horizon. Then it became a blob of black and finally several dots scattered among the waves. As the boats drew closer, the wives got up to the shore to greet the menfolk. All in all it was a normal day in the routine of a fishing village. However today was different, as one of the boats had one man they never seen before. He did not look even a bit Japanese, with his bright blond hair and blue eyes. His facial structure was different from them too. The fishermen talked about a shipwreck out near the coral reefs. They said that it was horrible, with bodies floating around and goods strewn out in the sea. Probably one of the foreign merchant ships. It was a miracle this man survived, specially with the hurricane last night.

0o0o0o0o0

Misako waited for the blond man to come inside her house. Her son was sick and none of the medicines seemed to work on him. So she had decided to call the man who called himself Jonathan da'Sorvilhas. He had claimed he was a doctor.

"Where is the patient?" His Japanese was flawless, just with an inland accent. It was surprising seeing he was not one of them.  
"In here." She said motioning him to the room where her son was lying. Her voice had a bit of doubt; after all he didn't look any older than twenty.

Even with her doubts she felt that somehow, this man could be trusted. It was almost the same way she had met her husband. Though now only the gods knew where he was, after that fateful night when the storms raged. He was out on a fishing trip and she had waited for him. Two days turned to two weeks as no news of him reached her. She was three months pregnant and it was five years ago.

He looked at the shrivelled form of the kid lying on the bed. It looked like an infection of tapeworms, no wonder the local doctor could not do anything. He put his hand on the kid's stomach, giving a comforting smile to the kid.

"You will be all right by tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll fix you up in no time." He remembered how once he had been treated for the same thing. And 'she' was furious at him for not heeding her advice about not eating too much ramen. He winched a little on the memory of the punch.

"So I'm not going to die?" The kid's voice was full of innocence. He used to be like this long ago. He shook his head, trying to shoo the memories away.

"Hey! I thought you were stronger than that!" A part of his old self returned to the surface.

0o0o0o0o0

He sat by the seaside, looking out to the horizon as the evening was coming to a close. His mind kept replaying the memories he had treasured long ago, that smile, that face, those eyes and beautiful hair. Then he remembered his promise, a promise of a lifetime. Heck! It was a promise that had transcended several lifetimes, and he still did not know when he would be free.

"_Promise me one thing…..you will live on, even without me."_

He longed to be free. He could not remember how long he had lived. But rules were rules, and not even the gods could break them. He had committed a crime, and this was his punishment, a hell on living earth. He did not know why people wanted to be immortal, oh what he would not give to be mortal again. But he couldn't live as a living dead, for he had made a promise. He would make a blessing out of this curse,

"Jonathan san! There you are, the ship is ready to go. Please hurry, we'll set sail at sundown."

He looked back at the small trading ship docked on the local port. He got up and walked to the village. After all, he needed to take his belongings with him.

0o0o0o0o0

The night sky was clear, with stars twinkling bright. He stood at the edge of the deck, looking up at the stars. It was in one of these moonless nights 'she' had held him close, asking for warmth. They had finished a long mission and were returning.

_"Aww... you don't need to ask me to sit with me."_

They had sat down beside the small camp fire, with their sensei taking to the trees with his favourite orange book. He had not been able to apologise for breaking a promise.

_"You don't need to say anything. I don't care if he comes back. What matters is that you are with me, here. He never was..."_  
_"C'mon don't say that ..."_

"Jonathan san, and we have been looking for you all over the ship." Somehow the words didn't seem to mean what the sailor was saying. He looked back to see a group of several sailors looking back at him. Their eyes had malice and their smirks felt treacherous. He smiled, for these goons didn't know they were dealing with someone who was aeons ahead of them.

"And what is that you need me for?" His silly grin had resurfaced after so long. And then the scent hit him. A memory was triggered, and it was not a happy one. He had not expected to meet this man after so many years.

"We need to have a talk, can you spare some time Naruto kun?"

0o0o0o0o0

He walked on the deck as the midnight hour struck. He had not intended to end like this. The whole deck was coloured red, courtesy the katana he was holding in his right hand. His talk with the other man had lasted not more than a few seconds. The next moment he knew, all the sailors were jumping on him as flies on honey. They were not easy to fight, specially with a lack of space to maneuver and a hundred flashes of steel that were intended for him. He was surprised to see elemental jutsus being used and had decided to cut loose.

"Come back here you bastard!! I'll teach you what a jutsu should be like!!" He shouted out in the night. The other man had escaped in the mayhem. That man was surely mad.

He looked back at the bodies scattered around the deck. They were real monstrosities; that man surely had lost his soul long ago and these bodies were proof of it. Genetic experiments on this scale was sheer madness.

"At least they are out of their pain." He thought out aloud, kneeling down and inspecting a seal on the neck of one of the bodies. He knew this one; it was the same he had seen on his friend, though now it was a lot more complicated. He would now have to study these as well. He walked up to the ship's bridge, only to find no one there. He looked at the maps, land seemed far away. He could sense a hurricane coming his way.

**"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu"** And a hundred clones set out to replace the dead crew. Now he had to wait till the hurricane passes over. Memories were once again running amok in his brain.  
_"Iruka sensei, can I try your hitai-ate?"  
_There was a time when he was young.  
_"Mizuki sensei, leave Iruka sensei alone, or I'm gonna kick your ass."_  
Then he grew up. It was the same jutsu.

He opened his eyes as the ship shook. The hurricane had hit with full force and the ship was rocking from side to side. His clones were trying to roll up the sails as the winds blew. He closed his eyes again, after all, a puny hurricane could not kill him. It would be better this way, all evidence of the massacre would be washed away. He stopped at the thought. When had he begun thinking like this? Maybe this was how his former prisoner used to think. When you live for an eternity you begin to see everything as fickle. There is no attachment left, and so, not guilt. Maybe this was what they call _nirvana_? Who knows, but now it was time to meditate.

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Well a few alerts and three reviews. I won't say I'm pleased with the results but then this is life. Well, Chapter 2 got very little hits compared to Chapter 1, so I hope this one does a bit better. Read and review please. I need an honest opinion.


	4. Chapter 4

I bet this story format is a bit confusing. Try reading The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy; she is better at this than me. Still, here's chapter 4 in all its glory.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach.  
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**The Timeless Man**

Date unknown  
Planet and location unknown

0o0o0o0o0

White. All the place was of this one colour. No shadows, no edges, no other colour except that on him, it was seemless, pure, calm. No, there was something different here, just ahead of him. Darker lines defined a shape,a stool. Ah just the thing he needed, he was tired of standing. How long? He didn't know. nor did he care. He sat down, and dark lines started appearing a few feet away from him, defining the edges of a door. He watched fascinated as the door completed itself, and then there was a soumd. He started at it, never having heard a sound for quite some time. The doorknob turned and the door started to open up. His interest peaked and he sat at the edge of the stool, preparing himself for anything that may come in. Then he saw a boy entering, bright blue eyes met cold sky blue and the temperature of the room suddenly dropped a few degrees. Another stool materialized in front of him, as well as a table between him and the stool. The boy sat down on the stool, eyes still fixed on him. Silence still reigned at the place, wherever it was. However, he was not one to be of the silent type, so he started the conversation.

"So, why are you here?" He was a bit surprised at his own voice. He could not believe he had forgotten how he used to sound like.  
"It's time. I'm here to escort you out so that you can serve your sentence." The boy's voice had a cold ring, as if he was made of ice.  
"Finally." His voice had the tone of relief. He brushed his hand over his blond spiky hair. "Let's get going."

0o0o0o0o0

_"__**Rasenshuriken**__!!" His loud voice rang through the forest as he jabbed his right hand into the stomach of the 'weasel'. Then his eyes widened in surprise; Itachi had dissolved in ravens.  
"Shit, when did get me into his genjutsu?" Naruto yelled to himself. "Not good, I lost a large part of my chakra and I don't want to go berserk now, Sakura chan will get hurt again."  
The said girl was lying on her stomach a few feet from him, but he could not see her. He knew he had to break out of Itachi's jutsu but how, he did not know. He knew normal methods would not work and the one method he had would kill everyone. He decided to think out a solution, knowing well that his time was limited. _  
_  
"Ah yes, this might work." He tried pooling in his will power to stop thinking. It was hard work, with Itachi messing up with his brain, but he kept trying. Slowly his thoughts began to fade away as he entered a meditative state.  
_

_His mind slowly became blank and his senses began to get dull. First sight shut down, then hearing, then smell and taste and finally, he stopped feeling the sense of touch. Somehow, he felt free. His normal senses had gone but something else had taken its place. He began to feel the flow of chakra through his body, as well as his tenketsu opening and closing as chakra escaped. He also felt the difference in the two chakra flowing in his body. The feeling was overwhelming, being in control, it was a sense of power like no other.  
"What is he doing?" Itachi frowned. "Can he be...?"_

_He never got to finish his thought as a giant flare of chakra hit him._

0o0o0o0o0

He kept walking down the empty corridor, with gothic arches adorning the roof. The boy in front of him was walking at a steady pace. Silence had again fallen between them, with the only interruptions from the sound of their footsteps on the stone floor. He was feeling really uncomfortable, so he decided to speak up again.  
"So where are you taking me?" He had added a bit of curiosity in his voice. Honestly though he didn't mind if they put him in the burning infernos of hell, atleast it would be less boring.  
"To the living world, but not a how you remember it. Pieces of your life will be there though, but I doubt you will find it any comforting." The voice was formal. Then again this boy had said something of being in a senior post. Probably one of the requirements of the job. "Many realities blend into that world. It is a whirlpool of truths, and yes, they do hurt."

He winched at those words, but decided to say nothing. He had made a promise, and he'll be damned if he broke it. He would endure anything they would throw at him, he would prove them wrong. After all, he used to do that a lot.

0o0o0o0o0

_"Uzumaki Naruto, after examining all the evidences and witnesses brought here for this trial, the jury has come to a conclusion." The judge's eyes were fixed on him.  
"All those who proclaim him guilty, raise your hand." All the jury raised his their hands. The decision was unanimous, Uzumaki Naruto was guilty.  
"Is there anyone who contests this conviction?" No one come up. All the evidences presented were against him. The case was conclusive.  
"All right then, Uzumaki Naruto is hereby proclaimed guilty of misusing his power to defy the laws set by nature. Your sentence will be declared tomorrow. The court is adjourned."_

0o0o0o0o0

"We'll arrive at the gate in a few minutes, so prepare yourself." The boy broke the silence that had once again settled between them. The convict gave no answer. He was wondering how a shinigami could look like a white haired boy, after all shinigami were supposed to be hideous and scary. Maybe it was all wild imagination on the part of the people.

"We're here." The boy's cool voice ringed into his ears, shaking him out of his thoughts.

He looked at the empty space before him as the boy moved forward. They had left the corridor a long time ago and had come up to this beautiful garden where two pillars stood at the middle of the lawn. His escort unsheathed the sword hanging off his back and jabbed it into the space between the pillars. He saw in astonishment as black lines began to appear at the place taking the shape of a large gate.

"So this is it? Anything more I need to know before i head over?" He said to the boy, walking to the gate.  
"You will know what you need to do, my job is done here."

He closed his eyes as the gate slowly slid open, bathing the area in a soft white light. Then he opened his eyes full of determination, and walked into the light.

0o0o0o0o0

He woke up on a deserted island, probably a volcanic one as the crater showed. There was nothing on that patch of land except for grass and tall statues of people with long earlobes and similar faces. It was surely the last straw.

"You bastard!! What were you thinking when you dropped me off here?? Come back here, I'm gonna so kick you ass for this!!"

Definitely, Uzumaki Naruto could not be suppressed even after aeons of imprisonment.

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There are many references here, the first one is of course the most easily recognizable one. Yes folks, it is Bleach. The second one is subtle, and involves the technique used Naruto. It is a common practice in holistic medicine and is known as The Biofeedback Technique, even though I stretched it a bit far. The third one is the island; it is a small island in South Pacific known to tourists by the name Easter Island. It is dotted by large statues which litter in and around the old extinct volcanic crater. Read and review please.


	5. Chapter 5

A bit of a writer's block here, but managed to finish it nonetheless.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. (I'm not feeling creative today, so no witty remarks)

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**The Timeless Man**

3rd June 2118

Planet: Vegas III  
Location: Old Town Square, New San Marino

0o0o0o0o0

"Officer Krutz, this is HQ. Come in Officer Krutz."  
The said woman, a petty officer in New San Marino Police Department was enjoying a warm cup of coffee and a donut when the accursed device started droning.

"Yes this is Krutz speaking…."  
"Dead body found. 12th street, sector 14. That's your patrol. Standard protocol."  
"Roger, I'm on it."

15 minutes later the said area had been cordoned off and the Crime Scene Investigation had been called. Officer Jasmine Krutz leaned over at the body, inspecting the wounds.

"Enjoying your time, Jasmine?"  
She looked back and found her old teammate Alfred Chow smiling.  
"I don't regret retiring. I'm used to this slow life now." Jasmine was still looking at the body. She had decided long ago that life in the CSI unit was too hectic for raising a family.

"He was a contract killer." Alfred said. "We have his files. Thirteen kills; all shot through and through. Looks like this time his target was more dangerous than him."  
Jasmine absorbed this piece of information; it was certainly interesting. The wounds were not normal either. The right lung had been punctured and the cut was pretty deep. It was a clean cut, running from the center of the chest to the left side, ending near the end of the false ribs. Not only that, the wound had been cauterized, like a surgical electric knife. The angle of the cut said that the killer was taller than the victim. The victim had been using a PSG-31K tactical sniper rifle, which lay a few feet from the body. It was facing the street, meaning the victim's target was supposed to walk the road which the balcony overlooked.

Jasmine frowned at the scene. She turned back to face Alfred.  
"You think Boss will let me in on this one?"  
"I think he might say no, but then you were the best we had." Alfred beamed at the idea.

0o0o0o0o0

The man stood in front of the fountain, watching the water move around in fancy ways. Then, slowly, his sight got blurred. He took out his handkerchief and cleaned his glasses. A moment later, the glasses were back in front of his black eyes. It had been the fifth attempt on his life in the last three years. His enemies were certainly not going to let him go, specially when he had proved too dangerous to be left alive. But he could no die, not now when he knew everything; everything about himself and that damned experiment.

_The dreams..._  
_Of a forest and blue sky._  
_Of a village and a mountain._  
_And an older brother and a friend..._

He shook out the images out of his mind as a light drizzle began to fall. He had a job to do, to find the man in the dreams. He knew somehow that the blond who felt like a friend in his dream had the answers he wanted. And he knew that there was more to himself than just Project Genesis.

0o0o0o0o0

Alfred entered the cubicle Jasmine was working in with a cup of coffee in hand. The Boss had agreed to the deal, even though it took three hours of pestering.

"Any progress lately?"  
"Yes, I found records of other contract killers who had got killed in the same manner. All on different planets; this one was on Lozo IV." Jasmine pointed to a face on the screen.

This was indeed surprising, for Lozo IV was a research planet, and had a very small residential settlement. The planet was being terraformed but it had not much chance of life, beside the fact that it was far away from the big trade routes and little support structure.

"So either our friend is a smuggler or someone in the know of some of the illegal research going on." Alfred was fast on the conclusion.  
"The smuggler part does not explain the money involved, so maybe it is the second, but we might be wrong. We know next to nothing about this guy or of the research facilities." Jasmine reasoned.

"Most of the research going on is sanctioned by the military and we can't tell them to cough out info. This looks pretty bad." Alfred had a serious expression on his face, even though it looked out of place on his happy-go-lucky personality. The case was going out of hand and he did not like it. He looked at the research facilities being listed on the screen, around twenty of them. Lambda Research, iLight Innova, Orochi Corps... the list was long.

0o0o0o0o0

"Flight 0356 is waiting at Dock No.35. All passengers please go to Gate No. 12 to get their boarding passes scanned."

The blond haired man got up from his seat and made his way to the gate. His eyes were still on the PDA he was carrying, news being displayed. Another contract killer dead, and the same kind of wound. He knew the wound from long ago, his left hand making its way to the right side of his chest. But it was not possible , was it? Or maybe it was, that old bastard snake might be behind it. But if it was true then time was drawing near. He smiled at the thought, he would be free at last.

"Your pass please."  
"Huh? Oh, here."

Once this thing is done with, he was going to Lozo IV, he had to meet a certain somebody.

0o0o0o0o0

"So this one also failed. It's been how many years? Ahh three years and he's still walking." The voice seemed to come out of nowhere as the table seemed to be shrouded in darkness.  
"I'm sorry sir, but we won't fail you the next time." The terrified voice of the subordinate was heard.

"I'm disappointed. But I think you deserve another chance. Besides our pet project just can't run away that easily." The superior's voice sounded amused, almost teetering on the edge of madness. The subordinate could practically feel the air getting heavier. He had felt relieved at being given another chance but now, the atmosphere was scaring the shit out of him.

"Well then..."  
"Garrrghhh..." The subordinate felt a strong hand grip tightly on his throat as the boss pulled him closer. He could now see that eye, the slitted yellow eye of the snake, filled with a lust for blood like no other. "You should prove useful for my next experiment."

0o0o0o0o0

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This chapter had been sitting for some time and I could not look into it. College and all. I still hope I can communicate what I've wanted to say here. R&R.


	6. Chapter 6

It's been a while since I last updated. The reason was simple, procastination. This is the penultimate chapter, and then next one is the last as I'll work on my next fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Period

**The Timeless Man**  
**  
**20th July 2118

Planet: Lozo IV  
Location: Orochi Corps Special Experimentations Lab

0o0o0o0o0

To the general public, Lozo IV is a desert planet, a planet only for wild haired mad-scientist weirdos. They feel thankful that at least those weirdos don't live among the general public, who knows what their experiments will lead to. But they don't know one fact, that it was the same research that stopped the last Great War. Frightening as may seem, genetically enhanced soldiers had won the day that time. And on the forefront of this research was Orochi Corps, and it was considered Top Secret information even for the top echelons of the military. So naturally the receptionist got scared when a blond haired man walked up to her and asked for the Big Boss. After all, the Big Boss was only a myth, a fairytale of an invisible and immortal master her boss answered to, and this man must have gone mental asking for him, even though she did admit that he was cute.

"Um sir, I think you are very much mistaken...there is no Big Boss." She tried to reason with him as her hand inched towards the alarm button.

"Oh, is that so? Maybe you are right, there may be no Big Boss after all. So why don't you be nice and let me meet _your_ boss?"

"I'm very sorry sir, but the boss is really busy, do you have an appointment with him?" Her hand had made its way to the button without him noticing. It was only a matter of him saying the wrong thing.

"No, I don't but I'll be meeting him anyway. Can you tell me where's his cabin?" He said with a bright smile.

This was all the response she needed to push the button. Two security guards ran up to him and pointed their guns.  
"Drop on the floor with your hands behind your back. We'll not hesitate to shoot if you try anything smart."

"Oh my... why do people insist on violence at the first pretense of trouble?" He shook his head, it was going to be a long day.

0o0o0o0o0

"So what about the new specimens, are the ready?" The tall man asked looking at the screens.  
"Hai, Kabuto sama, they will be..." The subordinate's answer was cut off by a loud siren.

"Attention all personnel. There has been a Level 4 breach near the West Wing. DC Protocol 33 in effect. Please remain where you are until the issue is resolved."

The subordinate immediately flipped open the ComLink and barked out.

"What the hell happened?"  
"Sir an intruder has managed to break through the Secure Level 01. He's headed towards your location. We're trying to take him down but he's just too fast."

Kabuto had sat down on the chair and had an unreadable expression on his face. Whoever this intruder was, he had managed to break though Secure Level 01, the best security in the Confederation and then the direction he was headed...

"He's coming closer. We must evacuate the lab immediately."  
"He can't be Kisuke, he couldn't have broken though Secure Level 01 without help..." the subordinate was still confident about the security.

Kabuto's line of thought was broken by his subordinate's voice.  
"Uh yes, let's go." He didn't care if some nobody got to him, but to the world the Big Boss did not exist and he wanted it to remain that way.

Sadly for them however, the steel blast door separating the lab from the outer world blew up at that very moment, showering the occupants with red hot sharpnel. Kabuto was fast on his feet and ducked behind the table. His subordinate however did not get a chance and was impaled. It was the very moment he felt it..._chakra_, that chakra.

He knew that hiding was futile considering this man. He could easily track him down using his chakra signature, but then again he knew that the other was not here to kill him. After all an immortal could not be killed.

"Ah Naruto-kun, a pleasant surprise. You could have sent a message, I could have prepared a better welcome for you."  
"Sorry there, my bad. But then I wouldn't have got the pleasure of exploring this fine establishment you set up, **Orochimaru**." He said smirking.

"So what brings you here. I'm sure you are not here to say hello."

"Well, I've got some good news and some bad news. What would you like first?"

Orochimaru was surprised to see his enemy before him, but did not show it. After all, a moment's lapse of attention could be dangerous. Not that he could be killed, but if information about him being here was leaked, it could have severe repercussions. And this person before him certainly hadn't come with friendly intentions. He had tried to capture the blond haired man several times in the past few centuries but had always failed. Well, now that he was in front of his prey, he'd try again.

"Its a nice lab. You resumed work on the Red Eye, didn't you?" the question was spoken with a nonchalant air, but the threat was still there behind a layer of indifference.

Yellow eyes widened at that remark. How could he have known about that project? Only three people knew about the Red Eye DNA and his now dead subordinate was one of them. The other researcher had been dead for some decades. So how... no, he couldn't have hacked into the Carlos II installation.

"How do I know, huh?" the smirk on his face was infuriating the snake man, but he kept quiet. "I have seen something familiar. I'd know what it is, I've had a personal experience with that technique."

How his specimen had learned **chidori** was beyond him, but Orochimaru had his suspicions. That was why he was bent on killing it. Now that the blond haired bastard had got the information he needed, it was time to act. He'd kill the specimen himself.

"I know what you were thinking Oro-chaaan", the blond's grin was getting wider. "You thought it was Sasuke, right? Well, you were correct."  
"So what are you going to do now."

"You're too boring, you know that. Now for the news, the good news is Project Genesis has been terminated. I left no evidence of you being involved."

"And the bad?"

"That's the big one. Well, Sasuke is here now and I've cast my net. He's the last soul I have to seal and after that I'm home free. You know what it means, don't you?" His playful voice turned sinister as the room began filling with chakra. "You are going to die, and I'd see to it that you get the most painful death ever."

Orochimaru knew it was going to happen one day, and he knew that the blond here was going to incapacitate him so he would not interfere. He made his move. _Kusanagi_ had struck straight through the forehead and had gone out through the other side. His opponent smiled, and Orochimaru's eyes widened. **Bunshin Daibakuha.**

The explosion rocked the floor and activated the blood seals that had been painted on the walls of the building. Ten seconds later Orochi Corps' building was no more.

0o0o0o0o0

_"So why the change in my sentence? I never thought them to be of the forgiving type."_

_"We need people to track down the rogue souls, and we have you already, so why not use the resource." The white haired shinigami sounded annoyed. It made sense in a way. Living long like that would invariably corrupt his soul, and they won't have to set up another tribunal after he returns again. They wanted to send him to hell anyway._

_"Hmm, so these rogue souls..."  
"Yes, these are the same which escaped from us shinigami when you blew it all up." It was evident that his white haired 'friend' was becoming irritated.  
_

_"Oh, ehehehe. Well then I'll just have to catch them right? Or do I have to kill them? I hate killing people, you know that?"  
"No, you have to seal them so they can't escape. Killing them afterwards makes no difference."_

_He knew he wouldn't be able to escape the killing part. It was a part of his job description once, and they were getting a trouble'shooter' with an all expenses paid package.  
_

_"Now, you will be put in limbo. When the time comes, we'll get you out and put you in the field. You can ask your questions then. Now move." The white haired 'shrimp', as he put it, was impatient and clearly didn't like the job he had been given._

_"Yeah yeah, lets get this over with."_

0o0o0o0o0

"I'd like some green tea, please." He said to the waiter before reading the news on his PDA.

"Lozo IV facility blown up by terrorist group? First Carlos II and now this. Looks like someone has an agenda against Orochi Corps." He mused. It was good in a way, payback and a breather from killers coming after him. He pushed up his glasses once again, trying think why he was feeling a bit of fear coming up his throat. Well, he would have to be ready for anything.

"Your tea sir."

"Oh... okay." He didn't know why, but he felt that sooner or later, he'd meet that guy with blond hair. His dreams were becoming more and more vivid and names were coming into his mind, as if memories of a previous life. Itachi was the first that came to him, and with it came feelings of despair and hatred, and love as well. He didn't understand it, and it scared him. But now he was sure, Project Genesis was not a government enterprise to create super soldiers, it was a private enterprise to recreate the Red Eye, or the _Sharingan_ as his memories had mysteriously told him.

He knew too much, yet he felt that it was only the tip of the iceberg. Somehow his memories told him that he was not PGS-0974. He used to have a name. _Uchiha Sasuke. _That itself told him volumes more than the records of Project Genesis. Once he used to have a name, a family, a brother...a friend.

"Uzumaki Naruto." It was another moment of inspiration that had struck him. And memories rushed up his mind. He sat sraight, dazed for a moment.

"Might as well finish the tea."

0o0o0o0o0

College and lectures had eaten up my brains and this chapter had been waiting for quite some time. This one went through 5 rewrites before I was satisfied. I hope it answers the question of what was Naruto's punishment, but the question of what he had done will have to wait for the last chapter, as well as the Orochimaru connection. Read and enjoy.


End file.
